Folding door



March 1, 1955 Filed March 8, 1954 Fig. 6

O. J. BONAWIT FOLDING DOOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oby J. Banawir INVENTOR.

WWW 4y EM United States Patent This invention relates generally todoor assemblies, and

pertainsmore'particularly to an improved form of folding door.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an improved form ,of folding door which is supported overhead only, the bottom being free, wherein the end panel is normally held in properpositionfor engaging the door jamb and latching assembly.

1 &nother object of this invention resides in the ,provision-of an lmproved form of folding door structure in conformity with the foregoing object wherein'mea'ns are provided for permitting the end panel to be folded back agalnst the next adjacent panel whenthe door is in a fully opened position.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved latching assembly for folding doors.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like. parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is an elevational view showing the door in closed position;

Figure 2 is a perspective view partially in section showing details of an improved latching mechanism;

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken substantially along the plane of section line 3-3 in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged horizontal section taken substantially along the plane of section line 44 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective view showing the top portion of the folding door;

Figure 6 is an enlarged horizontal section looking upwardly from the top edge of the end panel with portions of the track broken away to show the means for permitting the end panel to be folded back against the next adjacent panel; and

Figure 7 is an enlarged vertical section taken substantially along the plane of section line 77 in Figure 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, it will be seen that the folding door contemplated herein incorporates a plurality of elongated panel members of uniform width and a pair of narrower panels 12, 14 and 16, 18 at opposite ends of the door, each pair of narrow panels being of the same width as a single one of the interrfiediate panels 10. The panel 18 is secured by suitable fasteners 28 to the vertical doorway member 22 and the opposite end panel 12 is permitted of sliding movement toward and away from the door jamb member 24 as will be presently apparent.

Referring now more particularly to Figure 4, it will be seen that the adjacent side edges of each of the panels, inclusive of the end panels, is provided with a longitudinal notch 26 and a beveled edge 28 leaving the abutment surfaces as at 30 for mutual engagement between panels when the door is in the closed position. In this respect, it will be noted that the various panel members are disposed in slightly inclined relation with respect to each other when the abutment surfaces are engaged in the door in its closed position.

A series of longitudinally spaced, transversely extending rods or wire members 32 project through each panel and each wire member is looped, as at 34, in the region of the notches 26 to embrace about the pintle rods 35 for effecting a hinge connection between ad acent panels.

It is to b? oted that the wire or 'rod'members 32 need not be tightly engaged within the panels inasmuch as t pesl'e ds 3 a opp e sides ot e pa l nd-in abut n wit he su e defining thesrooves 26 will these members in 'proper relationship to the panel and Pre e the emo l For the pu po ;o s dins and uppo ng e do assembly, the lintel 3 6, as seen-most clearly in Figure 7, is provided with an elongated groove '38 within which a generally O-shaped-traek member is fixed. The track i c u a web p t on 40. ppos t s de walls 42 and! 44 and 'the inturned horizontal end flanges 46 and 4.8 whose free edges are disposed in slightlyspaced relation,

asshown. Some of the intermediate spanels 11-.0'arep1'ovided with upstanding posts 50, asshown in Figure 5,

having disc-like horizontal roller members 52 journaled thereon or rigidly affi-xed thereto, as desired, for '-the :purpose of overlying the upper surfaces of the aflanges 46 and 48 to thereby'guide the' door assembly in its move- -ment between the open-and closedposit-ions. These guide members are, as shown, fixed medially on the upper-surfaces'of the intermediatepanels-and, aspreviously-st'ated,

any desired number may be used.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 5 'and 6,

it will be seen-that the free end panel 1 2 isjprovided on its upper edge with a plate member 54 suitably connected thereto and thatthis plate member carries a stem 56 rigidly therewith which 1111 vertical alignment with the pintle rod between the panels 12 and 14. The upper end of the stem 56 is provided with an elongated, generally rectangular body member 58 rigidly attached thereto which is disposed in parallelism with the plate 54. The free end of the body member 58 is provided with a pin 60 which journals a guide disc 62 thereon, it being noted that a thrust washer 64 is disposed between the disc 62 and the upper surface of the body member 58 to maintain these members in vertically spaced relationship, as shown most clearly in Figure 7.

It is to be noted that the stem 56 as well as the stems 50 are substantially as wide as the spacing between the flanges 46 and 48 so that, taken in conjunction with the guide members 52, 58 and 62, the door will not have any great tendency to swing back and forth on the guide members. The guide member 62 is of slightly greater diameter than the width of the body member 58 and is substantially of the same width as the distance between the inner surfaces of the side walls 42 and 44 such that ordinary folding and sliding movement of the door will have no tendency to create frictional engagement between the stems 50 and 56 and the opposing edges of the flanges 46 and 48 which would tend to wear the stern members unnecessarily.

The purpose of the body member 58 is to maintain the end panel 12 in substantially the same relative position with respect to the longitudinal axis of the track during the movement of the door between the closed and opened positions until such time as the door is fully opened wherein the end panel 12 is permitted to be folded back onto the next adjacent intermediate panel 10 to effect the largest door opening possible while at the same time obtaining the aforementioned feature of fixing the panel 12 with respect to the longitudinal axis of the track such that when the door is moved to the closed position there will be no danger of marring the free vertical edge of the end panel 12 or the door jamb 24 since the panel 12 will be constrained in movement to always properly engage within the vertical channel member 66 secured to the face of the jamb.

To permit the folding motion of the end panel 12 when in the open position, the lintel is provided with the generally opposed recesses 68 and 70 and the track side walls 42 and 44 are cut away in this area to permit the panel to be folded such that the body member 58 assumes the dotted line position shown in Figure 6. Since the stem 56 is in vertical alignment with the pintle between the panels 12 and 14, no transverse motion will be imparted to the door assembly as the panel 12 is moved to the folded position, as will be readily apparent. The rotatable guide member 62 will, of course, greatly reduce friction, as the panel 12 is moved to the folded position due to the fact that it will engage against the curved surface of the recess in the lintel.

To eflfect latching of the door assembly, the previously mentioned channel 66 is provided with a longitudinal slot 72 on the rear face of its Web 74 which abuts the jamb 24 and the upper and lower vertical portions 76 and 78 of the latching member indicated generally by the reference character 80 are vertically slidable therein. A portion of the channel is also notched as indicated by reference character 82, such that the horizontal arm portions 84 and 86 of the latching member may project outwardly beyond the opposite sides thereof for manipulation of this latching member, the finger grip portions 88 and 90 being provided to aid in the manipulation. Integrally formed with the latching member is a hook portion 92 which projects right angularly therefrom between the legs 94 and 96 of the channel member to engage over a keeper plate 98 provided on the end face of the panel 12. The panel is, of course, recessed as at 100 to permit the hook member 92 to enter past the keeper plate 98, as will be readily apparent.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

In a folding door construction, an elongated overhead supporting member having a longitudinal groove therein, a generally C-shaped track member secured within said groove, a door assembly including a plurality of hingedly interconnected panels, at least some of said panels being provided with circular guide members received in said track, and one end panel being provided with an elongated guide member received within said track to limit rotation of said end panel about a vertical axis as the door is moved to the closed position, said track being provided with opposite side openings adjacent one end and said supporting member being provided with recesses registering with said openings, whereby said one panel may be rotated, upon the door being positioned fully open, to fold against the next adjacent panel, said elongated guide member comprising a plate secured to said panel, an upstanding stem secured to said plate in alignment with the axis of the pivotal connection between said end panel and the next adjacent panel, a horizontal body member secured to said stem at the upper end thereof, and a horizontal roller journalled on one end of said body member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

